Aquaculture

Pain Management in Aquaculture Operations

Pain management for farmed fish during routine procedures and disease treatment is an emerging welfare priority.

Key Facts

Local anaesthetics can reduce pain during surgical procedures in fish
MS-222 is the most widely used fish anaesthetic in veterinary and research contexts
Welfare codes for some fish species now recommend anaesthetic use for invasive procedures
Pain recognition in fish is challenging due to limited behavioural indicators
Analgesic research for fish species is significantly behind that for mammals

Welfare Considerations

Pain management in fish aquaculture is an area where welfare science and practice are beginning to converge. Recognition that fish experience pain has created demand for protocols that manage procedural pain during common operations including marking, vaccination, and injury treatment. Anaesthetic use and post-procedural monitoring are increasingly recommended in welfare codes for major farmed fish species.

What You Can Do

Support welfare codes that specify anaesthetic use for invasive fish procedures
Advocate for pain management research funding for farmed fish species
Choose fish products from certified operations with welfare-conscious management
Raise awareness about fish procedural pain as a legitimate welfare concern
Support development of validated pain assessment tools for farmed fish